1. Field
The present invention relates to the display of video in a computer system.
2. Background Information
Digital video comprises a sequence of digital images. It is increasingly common to display (e.g. render) digital video in computer systems. A computer system is any device comprising a processor and a memory to store instructions and data to be supplied to the processor. Typically, the processor and memory are coupled by way of one or more buses. A collection of instructions e.g. software, may be executed to convert the bits of the digital video to signals to a display device, e.g. to render the video. Examples of display devices are monitors and flat screens, to name just a few. Many other types of display devices are well known in the art.
Software may generate a windowed interface on the display device. The windowed interface may include windows with elements such as borders, title bars, buttons, sliders, and icons, to name just a few of the possibilities. Versions of the Microsoft(trademark) Windows(trademark) operating system, a product of Microsoft corporation, are examples of programs which produce windowed interfaces. Window elements are typically displayed on the xe2x80x9cforegroundxe2x80x9d of a window; areas of the window in which display elements are not present are referred to as the xe2x80x9cbackgroundxe2x80x9d of the window. Rendering video on windowed interfaces is complicated by the need to coordinate the rendering of the video with the position and operation of windows and elements of the windows.
Existing techniques for rendering video on computer system displays may obscure or interfere with the operation of elements of the windowed interface. There is a continuing need for a manner of rendering video in the xe2x80x9cbackgroundxe2x80x9d of a window so that it does not interfere with the display or operation of windows, while at the same time coexisting with manners of displaying xe2x80x9cforegroundxe2x80x9d video, e.g. video which does not have other display elements visible over top of it.